


Then the Winter Came

by Ferretina



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Bilbo Baggins, BAMF Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, Bilbo Baggins & Lobelia Sackville-Baggins Friendship, F/M, Fell Winter, M/M, Wargs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23575924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ferretina/pseuds/Ferretina
Summary: Hobbits were a peaceful race, the shire untouched by the suffering of the world around it. The winter changed that. It was a dark time that most wanted to forget. Most wanted to return to their old lives and pretend it never happened. Never speak of it and it will not happen again. Most believe it. This is the story of one of the few who doesn’t. This is the story of one of the few who refuse to forget.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Bungo Baggins/Belladonna Took
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	1. Prologue

Hobbits were a peaceful race, never seen without a smile on their round faces and cheerful demeanours. They desired nothing more than good food and company. They wanted for nothing, their land was lush and prosperous. The Shire was so beautiful and its people so happy, it often seemed another world, untouched the tragedies and pain outside it. They were content to be left alone by the other races in Middle-earth and were often overlooked. Then the winter came.  
\--  
It started early, the frost came quickly and damaged the harvest. It bit at noses and clouded breath. This wasn’t unheard of, so no one worried. Some were even glad, a winter quick to start was often quick to end after all and there was still plenty of food – just not as much surplus. Then the snow came. It seemed so exciting, it rarely ever snowed in the Shire and this was light and powdery, perfect for sledging and making snowballs with. Faunts were bundled up in warm clothing and set free to roam under the watchful eyes of their parents. It was a happy, jolly time.  
It wasn’t long until more snow came. This snow was different. It was thick and wet and left anyone caught in it drenched and freezing. It seemed endless. Any paths cleared were quickly filled back up. Eventually the hobbits decided to stop venturing out, it was too hard to constantly move it from the entrances of their homes, so they decided to wait it out and stayed in their Smials.  
Over time, the land that was once so gorgeous and bountiful became harsh and unforgiving. All the plants died, suffocated from the snow and starved of sunlight and the trees withered. The wind tore at anything in its path and rattled doors mercilessly. The air seemed almost solid with snow. It was never ending.  
It got colder still, the snow froze. Trapping hobbits in their homes. Some still believed it would blow over. Most did, clinging to their stubborn ways of never admitting a wrong in the world. A few didn’t.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter baby Bilbo

Bilbo was young, barely even a tween. And, like most children, he was oblivious to the horrors and problems of the world. Only knowing the innocence that comes with youth. The worst thing that had ever happened to little Bilbo was when Tom Proudfoot had broken one of Bilbo’s toys – a small carving of a horse his mother had gifted him from one of her adventures from before he was born.  
Because of this innocence, Bilbo didn’t notice when the winter came early. He noticed the snow of course, it was fun, all the adventure he could have with his friends, even if his mother wouldn’t let him wander so far. He didn’t notice the worry in his mother’s eyes when the snow kept coming, only that he wasn’t allowed out to play with his friends. Bilbo didn’t mind that much. There was plenty to do inside anyway.  
Eventually, Bilbo did notice that his meals were getting smaller, but Bilbo was a smart child. Before he complained he looked to his parent’s plates. Their meals were smaller too. Bilbo decided to pay more attention to everything. Over the next few weeks he noticed more things that he had previously dismissed: the smial was darker – less light was coming through the windows, it was getting colder all the time and his parents were putting on less fires and making the smaller. His meals were getting smaller, but not as much as his parents, who were getting thinner and thinner.  
\---  
Bilbo was always hungry now. they were down to three meals a day and small ones at that. One night when his empty stomach was keeping him awake, he heard his parents’ voices from down the hall. When he went to see them, he heard them talking in hushed voices, so quiet he could barely hear them.  
“… can’t…dangerous” he heard his father say.  
“I have no choice!” his mother hissed, considerably louder. Bilbo was taken aback by this. He had never heard his mother talk in such a harsh tone before. He heard footsteps coming towards him and hurried back to bed.  
\---  
Bilbo woke early the next morning. When he leaves his bedroom, he sees his parents. Their faces were grim, and his mother was dressed for going outside. Bilbo didn’t understand. His mother had told him that with all the snow it was too dangerous to go outside. It would be too easy to get lost. Why was she going outside if it was so dangerous? Bilbo started to protest. His mother quickly hushed him, grabbing the small hunting bow she had been given on one of her trips to Rivendale. He kissed him on the forehead and there was a rush of icy air as she opened the door and left. Bilbo immediately ran to the window – he saw his mother braced against the harsh winds as she trudged through the snow. Soon she was out of sight. Bilbo looked to his father. He was pale and shaking with worry, but attempted a reassuring smile.  
“She’ll be fine.” He said. Bilbo wasn’t sure.  
Bilbo waited. And waited. He waited passed what would have been second breakfast (if there was anything to eat), and elevenses, and lunch, and afternoon tea. His father got grimmer and grimmer.  
Just before dinner, there was the sound of a key in the door. Bilbo and his father rushed to it. His mother came back, with her clock covered in snow and two rabbits in her hand. That night Bungo made a stew from one of the rabbits and bilbo was full for the first time since the beginning of the winter.  
\---  
A few nights later and the food from the rabbits had run out. But that wasn’t what scared Bilbo. In the middle of the night he heard it. He heard the haunting and echoing cry of wolves. He started to cry, he’d never felt truly unsafe before. His parents came rushing in at the sound his cries. She held him and hummed a song until he fell asleep but her voice was strained. Bungo and Belladona shared a look. It was only going to get worse.  
\---  
The next morning Bilbo’s mother left again. This time was different. Along with her bow she took the biggest knife from the kitchen. She looked scared and Bilbo didn’t know why. She gave him a kiss on his forehead goodbye and hugged his father before she left.   
She wasn’t gone as long this time – only a few hours. When she came back she had her arms full of supplies: jars of preserves and dried meat. Enough food to last them weeks! Bilbo was delighted, but his mother seemed sad; there were tears sliding down her cheeks. Bilbo didn’t understand, why was his mother crying? They had lots of food to eat, why wasn’t she happy?  
Belladonna looked to Bungo and shook her head. He released a breath and bowed his head.   
That night Bilbo went to bed full once more and content. He forgot all about the howls he heard the night before, assuming it was just a bad dream.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write this chapter more from Bilbo's point of view. Thanks for all the Kudos and thanks to Jadein for your comment :)

For a while after that it's quiet, and Bilbo is happy. There is plenty of food, although not enough for it to last on a full seven meals a day so they stick to three, but Bilbo doesn't go to bed hungry anymore. Bilbo is happy but he can see that his parents aren't. The smial is still cold except for the living room which almost always has a small fire and most of the windows are still partially blocked with snow.  
His father looks worried all the time, pursing his lips whenever he looks at the firewood (the pile seems to be getting smaller but Bilbo doesn't worry. He's sure they can get more). His mother looks haunted all the time. Bilbo doesn't understand why. She’s had a weird look on her face ever since she got back from that trip where she came back with all the food. It gets worse when she looks at him. Did he do something wrong?  
\--  
One night, it stopped being so peaceful. Bilbo woke to his mother shaking him. She looked terrified. "Come on darling you need to get up," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. Bilbo was confused. Then he heard it; a slight scratching noise coming from outside. It was as if something was scraping away at the walls of the smial.  
His mother picked him up out of bed, and carried him out of his room and into the hall. The scratching and scraping was louder here. He could hear pants and growls as well. He realised why his mother was so scared. The wolves were back.  
Bilbo's mother continued out of the hall and further back into the smail. She descended the steps to the cellar. Bilbo could see that his father was already there. He looked scared too, he was pale and shaking ever so slightly. _This is bad_ , Bilbo thought. If both his parents were scared that must mean it is really bad.  
The cellar was cold and dark, even colder than the rest of the smial, and it only had a packed dirt floor rather than the wooden flooring the rest of his home had. It was dark and uncomfortable and the wolves weren't going away and he didn't know how to make them stop and by the looks of his parents the didn't know either. What were they going to do?  
Eventually Bilbo fell asleep to the sound of his mother quietly humming a lullaby while holding him in her arms and by the time he woke up, the scary sounds had gone. He looked over to his father and saw that he was asleep, awkwardly leaning against the cellar wall and shivering slightly in his nightclothes. When he looked up to his mother, he saw that she was still awake. She sat very still while holding him, her gaze not wavering from the cellar door. She didn't look as terrified as she was last night, but she looked very grim. It was so odd to her like this, she was always so happy before the winter came.  
Bilbo tugged gently on her nightdress to her attention After waiting for what felt like an eternity, she tore her gaze from the door and looked down at him. "Are they gone?" He asked softly. He hoped they were. He was cold and hungry and sore from sleeping in the cellar and wanted this to be over.  
His mother nodded slowly and got to her feet slowly, her head tilted slightly as if listening for any noises.  
"Wait here," she whispered, looking at him sternly. He nodded silently and went to sit beside his father. He was awake now. He looked even worse than last night, even more pale and shaken. This worried Bilbo even more.  
He waited while his mother went up the stairs and out of his sight. He didn't like it. What if the wolves were still there?  
It wasn't long before she came back, and nodded once at his father. He then sighed in relief and gently scooped Bilbo up in his arms. The wolves were really gone.  
\--  
After a light breakfast Bilbo wandered around his home. It was slightly colder than usual because his parents hadn't been able to light a fire so he wrapped him self up in a blanket and looked about with the ends trailing after him. There didn't seem to be any damage, but when he looked to the windows next to the front door, they let in a little bit more light than they did yesterday. Bilbo didn't think it was because the snow was melting.  
\--  
The wolves came back that night and they all slept in the cellar again. They were gone by morning. The came back the next night and by the third night Bungo and Belladonna had moved all of the blankets and bedding into the cellar and they went to sleep there instead of their rooms.


End file.
